Sometimes you want it to be cloudy..

[iceman (Mike)]

You know those nights.. when you're tired.. too tired to set the telescope up and stay out until early morning. Those nights you want it to be cloudy because you don't want to feel that you've missed a great night.

Well last night was one of those..

At 7:30pm I was outside talking to the neighbour and I could see the clouds breaking up, a nice pink tint across the sky.. I could just tell it was going to clear up. But after our work xmas party the night before, and a busy day going for an interview, being offered a job and then resigning from my current job, I was just too tired to set up the telescope.

For the rest of the night I refused to look outside, and went to bed early hoping I was wrong, and that it would be cloudy.

I woke at 3:30am to my daughter Eliza snuggling into bed bed next to me, so after I put her back to bed, I took a quick glance through the bathroom window and saw stars This was confirmed at 4:40am when I got up for work and the dawn sky was again crystal clear, with Venus shining brightly. aargh! I missed a good night!

I'm sure Scott or Lee will post some great images later telling me how good the night was.

The problem was compounded this morning when I checked the jetstream map!! Not a trace of jetstream over NSW! aarrgh! Why did I look!

The problem for tonight, is that it will be clear again - but i'm planning for the all-nighter on Saturday night - so having a late one tonight isn't a good idea! Arrgh!

[leon]

Yep, Mike I know how that works, it is always best not to look outside and just imaging it is wet and dirty out there,

Leon

[sheeny (Al)]

you get that on the big jobs, Mike! It takes real discipline not to look! It's like checking the price of something after you've bought one...

Congratulations on the new job!

Al.

[mlcolbert]

... or consider radio astronomy and you can be inside (listening while you sleep) and recording?? We won't go to an automatic observatory, will we??? No... too dangerous that way!! )


michael

PS I spent the night editing an assessment for a Master's Candidate so no joy there either

[33South (Chris)]

So Mike whats this great new job ?
Is it in the city ?

[iceman (Mike)]

No, lucky to stay on this side of the bridge. It'll be at Crows Nest, just up from St Leonards.

I'll be a Software Development Manager at HCN (health industry).

[33South (Chris)]

Originally Posted by iceman

No, lucky to stay on this side of the bridge. It'll be at Crows Nest, just up from St Leonards.

I'll be a Software Development Manager at HCN (health industry).

Good luck, and no casual lunch time strolls down Hume St.

I'll pop over for a chat and coffee in the new year.

[davidpretorius]

Originally Posted by iceman

No, lucky to stay on this side of the bridge. It'll be at Crows Nest, just up from St Leonards.

I'll be a Software Development Manager at HCN (health industry).

well done on the job.....

i will be up tonight playing with the scope

[ving (David)]

sometimes you have to just give mother nature the finger... i saw it was clear last night too but after a long day, several sleepless nights and grocery shopping for us and my MIL i was just too stuffed to do anything. i just gave murphy or mother nature or whoever was responsible the finger for making the night so pleasant.

i have forgotten how to use the telescope its been that long! (slight exageration)

[danielsun]

Mike you pretty much summed up exactly what I am going through as well.
Last night I got home buggered from work, had visitors whilst trying begin to attend to my neglected garden which I have to weed,edge, mow and re-mulch for a BBQ we are hosting on Sunday and had my mums birthday dinner to go to and by the time we got home I looked outside and said DOHHH! It was the best night sky I had seen here for a long long time but way too tired to set up the scope not to mention the 4;45 wake up for work today and also a X-mas Party in town on Sat night which I know will be a big one and also the fact that I'm in the middle of doing some running and ringing around to set up an interview for a new job.
Then I woke up this morning and it was stunning and I new it would have been a perfect night for an all nighter.

[Lee]

I know the feeling... but its clear tonight (so far) - I'm humping my freshly root-canal-ed jaw outside and finding some photons! If the spider-webs on the obs roof rails haven't seized it up that is!

[rwong]

Hi Mike Congratulations on the new job!!! Will the new job allow you more time in astrophotographing and viewing etc?

I don't know other places, but in Melb in the last 6-12 months, cloudy nights usually on Fridays to Sundays. Weds are usually clear. Just a bit too tired in the middle of the week to stay up late.

Clear skies
WWP

[iceman (Mike)]

Sometimes it's clear when I go to bed, set up the telescope for some early morning planetary imaging.. wake up at 2am in the middle of my sleep cycle, stumble to the window HOPING it's cloudy so I can go back to bed

Thanks WWP, but the new job has more responsibility and probably longer working hours, so probably less astronomy!

Still, I'm sure I'll find the time somewhere

[Lee]

Yes - congrats on the new job Mike - sounds like a good step up - maybe some more astro-cash too??

[Ric]

Hi Mike, well done with the new job, it sounds like a good one